STRAIGHT SHOOTING ON CONCEALED WEAPONS: ARMED AND DANGEROUS? (PROP B: HIT OR MISS?) (LAST IN A SERIES)

Armed and dangerous.

Proposition B opponents say that's what could happen if Missouri allows its residents to carry concealed weapons.

Proposition B, the measure that would legalize the carrying of concealed weapons, is on the April 6 ballot. It takes a simple majority for passage.

Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle strongly opposes the measure. He said allowing the general public to carry concealed guns will lead to more shootings.

"Fights right now that involve fists are going to end up escalating into gun fights," Swingle said.

Incidents of "road rage" could prove deadly if motorists are packing guns, he said.

Last year, Swingle's office prosecuted a man who became irate after he was cut off in traffic. The man chased the other driver. When the driver reached his home, the irate motorist fired shots at the house.

Swingle doesn't want to see Missourians shooting it out.

"Everybody thinks they are Wyatt Earp when they are carrying a concealed weapon," said Swingle.

"I am convinced that we are going to see gun fights," he said. "I don't want to see one person die in Cape Girardeau County that otherwise would have lived."

The nation has seen a reduction in violent crime. But concealed weapons aren't the reason, Swingle said.

In Missouri, the "truth-in-sentencing" law has made a difference by requiring violent criminals to serve at least 85 percent of their jail sentences, he said.

Concealed weapons won't stop criminals, Swingle said.

Missouri's concealed-weapons law would require applicants to be fingerprinted and undergo criminal and mental background checks.

But Proposition B opponents like Swingle and Cape Girardeau Police Chief Rick Hetzel said the background checks won't weed out all the bad guys.

Under Proposition B, sheriff's offices would conduct both federal and state criminal background checks.

But Swingle said the Missouri Highway Patrol's computer records are far from complete.

"Only about 50 percent of convictions are entered into the Highway Patrol computer," he said.

Law enforcement departments in rural counties don't have the manpower to fill out the forms and send them to the state, Swingle said.

The federal background check relies on records kept by the National Crime Information Center run by the FBI.

But Hetzel said only 38 states submit their crime records to the center.

Under Proposition B, sheriff's offices can investigate a person's mental health records, but Hetzel said that could prove difficult since there isn't a national center that keeps track of mental health records.

Swingle said the measure would allow people convicted of misdemeanor crimes to carry concealed weapons.

The Safe Schools and Workplaces Committee opposes Proposition B.

The organization says virtually any non-felon who hasn't committed or threatened violence within the previous five years is entitled to a concealed weapons permit whether or not the sheriff believes that person is dangerous.

Proposition B allows businesses to post signs banning guns on their premises. But Swingle said the signs won't stop people from carrying weapons into businesses, including bars.

Those who do face little more than a slap on the wrist, said Swingle. They could face a fine of up to $200.

Only if that person committed three such violations within a five-year period would it constitute a class C misdemeanor.

In that case, the person would lose his concealed-weapons license and be barred from reapplying for a permit for three years.

The person also could be fined $500 or jailed for up to six months on the misdemeanor conviction.

Hetzel said the "silent majority" of police officers in the state are concerned about the possibility of more guns on the streets.

Allowing Missourians to carry concealed weapons also could lead to more violence in the workplace, he said.

Proposition B would require applicants to receive 12 hours of handgun training before they could receive concealed-weapons permits.

Hetzel said that isn't enough, particularly for a person who has never fired or held a weapon.

Police officer candidates who attend the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Academy receive 56 hours of firearms training as part of a 12-week, 480-hour training program.

Proponents contend the $80 permit fee would cover the cost of processing the applications.

But state Auditor Claire McCaskill has suggested Missouri's local governments might have to spend $500,000 to $1 million to implement the proposed concealed-weapons law.

Hetzel said he doubts the $80 permit fee would cover all the added costs of processing applications and doing background checks.

As a police chief, Hetzel said he is concerned about public safety. To that end, Proposition B won't help, he said.